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Trumpet of the Swan
The Trumpet of the Swan is a 2001 animated film produced by RichCrest Animation Studios, directed by Richard Rich, and distributed by TriStar Pictures, being TriStar's first animated film since 1988's Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw. Sypnosis Based on E. B. White's popular children's book of the same name, it tells the story of a young Trumpeter Swan named Louie who is born with muteness and is vying for the attention and affection of a beautiful pen named Serena. He overcomes this by learning to play the Trumpet. Plot In a pastel Canadian forest, a mother trumpeter swan gives birth to three cygnets. Father, a blustering braggart, is thrilled by his offspring. In one of many jokes that will go over the heads of most youngsters, he names them after three jazz greats: Ella, Billie and Louie. Unfortunately, Louie is 'defective,' or mute. Although protected by his mother and sisters, and befriended by a beautiful and free-spirited swan, Serena, Louie still feels inadequate. The swans fly south to Red Rock Lake in Montana for the winter. Unable to warn his sisters when a fox is about to attack them, Louie resolves to find a way to communicate. Sweets, a squirrel with street smarts, teaches Louie about words. Louie turns to Sam Beaver, a young boy who likes to observe the swans, for more help. Sam brings Louie to his elementary school, where he persuades Mrs. Hammerbotham to teach the swan to read and write. Meanwhile, Father breaks into a music store in Billings and steals a trumpet in an attempt to find a voice for his son. Equipped with his own slate and chalk, Louie returns home. To his dismay, he finds out that he still can't communicate because his family and friends are illiterate. What's worse, Father has fallen into a depression over his trumpet theft. Still another problem, Boyd, a bullying and antagonistic swan, has his eyes for Serena. Mastering the trumpet, Louie leaves home to earn enough money to avenge his father's honor. He flies to Boston, where his musical skill soon makes him a national celebrity. Friendly squirrels use the 'Internut' to warn Louie that Serena is betrothed to Boyd. Louie hurries home to confront the bully before he can marry her. Cast *Jason Alexander as Father Swan *Reese Witherspoon as Serena *Mary Steenburgen as Mother Swan *Seth Green as Boyd *Carol Burnett as Mrs. Hammerbotham *Joe Mantegna as Monty *Sam Gifaldi as Sam Beaver *Dee Bradley Baker as Louie *Melissa Disney as Billie *Kath Soucie as Serena (cygnet) / Paramedic / Newscaster *E.G. Daily as Ella *Pamela Adlon as A.G. Skinner *Steve Vinovich as Maurice / Ranger *Gary Anthony Williams as Sweets *Corey Burton as Senator *Michael Winslow as Chief *David Jeremiah as Squirrel/Hawk *Julie Nathanson as Felicity *Dana Daurey as Apathy *Michael Kostroff as Waiter *Lee Magnuson as Clerk *Steve Franken as Bud *Norman Parker as Policeman *Jack Angel as Justice of the Geese *Frank Welker as Ducks *Bill Farmer as Announcer *Rodger Bumpass as Cops *Jim Cummings as Singing Statue *Brian Tochi as Lighthouse Keeper *Paul Eiding as Window Cleaner *David McCharen, Daamen J. Krall and Bob Bergen as Barbers *Jada Pinkett Smith, Ming Na-Wen, Cathy Cavadini as Dancers *Sherry Lynn as Flower Woman *Jennifer Darling as Girl *Mickie McGowan as Woman *Phil Proctor as Horses Songs The film contains five original songs with music by Charles Harrison and lyrics by Pamela Oland, Marcus Miller and Randy Rogel. #Spittin' Image (Jason Alexander and Mary Steenburgen) #Hey, Hey (Melissa Disney, E.G. Daily and Ann Marie Lee) #Louie, Louie, Louie (Little Richard with Additional vocals by Melissa Disney, Ann Marie Lee, Tony Pope and Jonny Solomon) #Hear Me Serena (Tim Carmon) #Touch the Sky (Kenya Hathaway) Release 'Critical reception' It was not well received by critics. Many stated the animation was poor, that the charm of the original book was lost, the characters were dull, the casting did not match, the songs were unmemorable and that the character design was awful. But the most common criticism of the film version was that it did not follow the original story well; this disappointed many fans of the book. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film scored a 15% 'Rotten' rating. 'Box office' It failed to get an audience at the box office, for two reasons, a small limited release, and the release of Dreamworks' Shrek the following week would cause the film to lose most of its audience. By the end of its run, the film grossed a mere $102,202. Awards and nominations In 2001, it was nominated by the Casting Society of America for best voice-casting in an animated film, but lost the award to Disney's The Emperor's New Groove. It is notable, however, that an independent animated film would have been able to win such a nomination. It was the last animated film to be based on a book by E. B. White until 2006's Charlotte's Web. Category:Articles with Wikipedia content Category:Films Category:Trumpet of the Swan